Dress-holder.



No. 692,274. PatentedFob. 4, I902.

M. L. GUMAER.

DRESS HOLDER.

(Application filed Mn. 12. 1901;

(No Model.)

N rr. S S E N n w ATTORNEY m: NORRIS PETERS 00., PNDYO-LWHO. WASHINGTDN o. c.

UN ITED STATES 5 ATENT FFICE.

DRESS-HOLDER.

SZEEOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,274, dated February 4, 1902.

Application filed March 12, 1901. Serial No. 50,837. (No modeld To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARIE LOUISE GUMAER, a citizen of the Uni ted States, residing at Guymard, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dress-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dress-holders or devices intended to be suspended from a girdle placed about the waist and capable of gripping the skirt to hold it away from the ground.

I am aware that a variety of different holders have been patented and put into use; but so far as my knowledge extends the need still exists for an article of this nature that can be closed and opened conveniently and that will grip the material of a dress-skirt firmly and positively, but without the danger of tearing or otherwise defacing or injuring the material.

In brief, my invention comprises a strand of wire or the like doubled upon itself, the opposite ends extending into prong-like members which are held normally distended, the outer edges of said members having serrations to receive a contracting slide piece or ring and the tips of the prongs having means enabling them to support friction-balls of soft rubber, which are intended to grip the dress material between their opposed surfaces.

In the drawings accompanying this application, Figure l is a front elevation of my improved dress-holder. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a front view of a modified structure. Fig. dis a side View of Fig. 3, the sliding loop being omitted.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, a strand of wire or the like is doubled upon itself to form a tensional bend, said strand extending into the prongs a a, which are normallyheld apart under the tension of the spring bend. The tips b b of prongs a a are each provided with serrations b b, enabling them to hold securely within spheres or pads 13 B of soft rubber, within which they are inserted. The said spheres or pads B B are preferably provided with neck portions 11 b to furnish retainingchannels of greater length and security for said tips I) b. (Jorrugations or cross-cut serrations, as a a, are provided along the outer edge of the prongs a a, and a ring or slide 0, which fits loosely over the upper portion of said prongs, is adapted when forced downwardly oversaid prongs to contract them and bring the spheres or pads B B into frictional contact over an intervening object, as a dressskirt, the serrations a or causing the ring or slide 0 to retain the prongs in a desired contracted position until released by the user. The meeting surfaces of the friction-pads BB are preferably corrugated, as indicated at b, whereby a more secure grip or hold of the dress material can be obtained.

As seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the friction-pads may be secured upon the prong-tips by forcing thereover enlarged head portions, as c, which prevent withdrawal, or washers, as c in Fig. 1, may be placed over the protruding tips, which latter are then riveted.

Having now described my invention, I declare that what I claim is- As a new article of manufacture, a dressholder comprising a continuous strand bent centrally thereof to form aspring and extended into divergent prongs, said prongs on opposite and the outer edges thereof being provided with serrations and presenting inwardly a smooth surface,a slide inclosing said prongs and adapted to engage said serrations and contract and hold said prongs againstthe tension of said spring, an enlarged resilient pad encompassing the extremity of said prongs respectively and a cap adapted to engage the extremity of each prong within each pad.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 4th day of March, 1901.

MARIE LOUISE GUMAER.

WVituesses:

CHAS. S. LONGHURST, AGNES V. KIERNAN. 

